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AIDS Patient Tells His Story Online to Warn Others
A Shanghai-based website that stirred up a public controversy last year with its "Death Diary" has whipped up a new cyber uproar over postings from an anonymous young man who claims he is dying of AIDS.
The man said he is revealing his private torment as a warning to others. A single act of unprotected sex with a prostitute caused him to test HIV positive early this year, according to Tuesday's Shanghai Daily.
The writer said he recently began to experience skin rashes, weight loss and enlarged lymph nodes that indicate his infection has turned into a full-blown case of AIDS.
Seven stories from "Li Jiaming," a pseudonym used to protect the man's identity, have been posted since July 12 on the website www.rongshuxia.com which saw a quadrupled visitor number to about 80,000. Reactions from readers were strong and viewpoints were decidedly mixed.
Most praised him for his efforts to warn others, some condemned the actions that got him into trouble in the first place and still others said they doubt he is telling the truth.
Medical authorities contacted by Shanghai Daily said Li's account could be true.
A man who identified himself as Li contacted Shanghai Daily in east Anhui Province on Tuesday and said he was 26 years old, studied science in college and was not a Shanghai resident.
Li said his battle against the disease has been not only physical but emotional. "When I was told I had the disease, I was scared and planned to kill myself."
Li spent a lot of money on tests and medicines, but "the average 7,000 yuan ( about 850 US dollars) to 8,000 yuan in monthly medical expenses is far from what I can afford," he said.
"When the time comes, I will kill myself. Before that I will try my best to share my feelings with my friends online", Li added.
There were 393 reported cases of HIV-positive in Shanghai last year and 24 of them have been dead. Nationwide 22,517 such cases had been found in the same year, but experts estimate the real number is more than 600,000.
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